Maratha stir: After week of protests, weekend of meets

MUMBAI: A week of violent agitations across Maharashtra by Maratha groups demanding reservations will end with two meetings over the weekend — the first called by the state, the second, by Maratha groups to decide what next.

The Devendra Fadnavis government will hold an all-party meeting on Saturday to discuss the demand for reservations in government jobs and education. The decision to involve all parties was taken at a late-night session of the party’s Maratha ministers and leaders. All through the agitations, the ruling BJP has been isolated over the issue, as it has The Devendra Fadnavis govt will hold an allparty meeting on Saturday to discuss Marathas’ demand for reservations in government jobs and education. The decision to involve all parties was taken at a late-night session of the BJP’S Maratha ministers and leaders, as the party has been isolated over the issue throughout the stir.

been criticised both by the community and other political parties. “The CM has decided to call a meeting of group leaders of all parties to understand their opinions on the issue. He has also been in talks with the agitating groups,” said revenue minister Chandrakant Patil.

Representatives of various Maratha outfits will, on Sunday, meet in Latur to discuss their future course of action. To step up he pressure, they have started asking elected representatives from the community to resign — so far, eight MLAS have done so.

››RELATED REPORTS, P2 ISLAMABAD: Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) emerged as the largest party in the National Assembly on Friday from this week’s general election, but will have to lean on smaller parties and independents for support to form the next government.

The PTI won 115 of the 270 seats to which elections were held on Wednesday, followed by jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-N) with 62 seats and former President Asif Ali Zardar’s Pakistan Peoples Party with 43, according to the Election Commission, which declared the results for 261 seats on Friday. Independents won 12 seats.

The Mutahidda Majlis-eamal (MMA) clinched 12 seats while the Pakistan Muslim League of former Punjab chief minister Pervaiz Elahi won five seats. The Karachi-based Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) won six seats.

The MMA is an alliance of traditional religious parties like the Jamat-i-islami.

Nearly-finalised results also indicate religious parties that fielded more candidates than ever before failed to win any National Assembly seats.

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